Golden retriever cystic uveal disease: a longitudinal study of iridociliary cysts, pigmentary uveitis, and pigmentary/cystic glaucoma over a decade in western Canada

Abstract

Thin-walled iridociliary cysts are associated with PU and PCG. All breeding golden retriever dogs should be examined annually by an ophthalmologist. The incidence of this disorder is higher in western Canada than previous reports in North America.

Golden retriever pigmentary uveitis: Challenges of diagnosis and treatment

“…However, the inability to identify dogs who would later become affected by GRPU allowed the condition to become widespread. The reported overall prevalence is 5.5% for PU in GR within the Midwestern United States 4 and 5.9% in Western Canada 5 . This prevalence is much higher than the 1.3% reported by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), 8 likely because the dogs presenting for Companion Animal Eye Registry examinations tend to be younger animals and animals without overt abnormalities that are excluded by breeders 5 .…”

“…The reported overall prevalence is 5.5% for PU in GR within the Midwestern United States 4 and 5.9% in Western Canada 5 . This prevalence is much higher than the 1.3% reported by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), 8 likely because the dogs presenting for Companion Animal Eye Registry examinations tend to be younger animals and animals without overt abnormalities that are excluded by breeders 5 . The published prevalence of PU is 9.9% for GR in the Midwest greater than 8 years of age 4 .…”

“…The diagnosis and treatment of PU have been evaluated and reported in 6 peer‐reviewed publications over the past 17 years 1‐6 . The mean age at presentation is 8.12 to 8.6 years, but the age of onset ranges from 4.5 to 14.5 years of age 1 .…”

“…The late onset of the condition 1,4,5 has stymied the efforts of conscientious breeders as a dog may be bred multiple times or produce multiple generations before being diagnosed with GRPU. The Golden Retriever Club of America in the GRCA Code of Ethics requires continued certifying eye examinations throughout the dog's lifetime so that their status with regards to GRPU will be known 9 .…”

“…Pigmentary uveitis is strongly suspected to be inherited, as it has been diagnosed exclusively in GR, or offspring of GR/Labrador Retriever or GR/Poodle crosses. Holly et al 5 suggested that GRPU was autosomal dominant with incomplete penetrance after creating a pedigree of Golden Retrievers in Western Canada. Similarly, a polygenic mode of inheritance could also explain this pedigree.…”